UNDP at COP23

“Accelerating Action on Climate Change: Delivering Ambitious NDCs Together for a Sustainable Future”.

The 2017 UN Climate Change Conference will take place at the World Conference Center in Bonn, Germany, under the Presidency of Fiji. With the Paris Agreement and national climate targets (Nationally Determined Contributions, or NDCs) in-place, this year’s COP will focus on the transition from developing national targets to planning and implementing climate action initiatives.

Under the banner of these climate targets, UNDP’s presence in Bonn will focus on how our diverse portfolio of projects – covering everything from adaptation to clean energy to climate finance to disaster risk – is supporting countries to achieve their ambitious goals and targets. A full-slate of side events covering these important topics will be held at the UNDP Pavilion and will emphasize UNDP’s approach to NDC-implementation: PLAN, ACCESS, and DELIVER.

What will be the outcome of COP23?

A key element of COP23 will be the on-going negotiations under the Paris Agreement, including to advance the Paris “rulebook” for how countries can access financial, technical and capacity building support and how they will monitor their activities. Decisions from these rounds of negotiations will inform UNDP’s support for countries under the GCF, GEF, Adaptation Fund and with other multilateral and bilateral partners for years to come.

Dawn in Bonn, Germany, site of last year’s international climate negotiations.

How does UNDP Support COP23?

UNDP has historically supported the COP preparation process through consistent and in-depth coverage of pre-COP negotiations and deliberations. This includes supporting developing countries where and when needed. For COP23 in particular, UNDP was requested to second two climate advisors to work with the COP Presidency on issues related to policy, preparation and programming.

How does UNDP support the Paris Agreement?

Since 2014, UNDP has been working with countries on their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). Initially, this focused on identifying appropriate climate targets that fit within long-term development plans and specific contexts in country. Since the adoption of the Paris Agreement this has transitioned to supporting countries to shift to action and implementation. Working with the European Union, UNFCCC, and UNEP, as well as working through initiatives such as the NDC Partnership, UNDP and partners have convened at least 15 global and regional conferences bringing together nearly 2,000 participants from around the world.

What will UNDP be doing at COP23?

UNDP’s delegation – led by Achim Steiner, Administrator of UNDP – will lead or participate in at least 30 key events during the conference. While many joint-events will take place at various locations and pavilions throughout the conference venue, the majority of UNDP’s events will take place at the UNDP Pavilion, in the Bonn Zone. A full breakdown and description of UNDP’s events can be seen in the attached document. Meanwhile, a schedule of events is detailed below. Each event has been designated a particular theme: